In the field of heat-shrinking, facilities are known for heat-shrinking sleeves made of heat-shrinkable material inserted onto supports such as containers, comprising an enclosure provided with a heat-diffusion means inside the enclosure and a conveyor for carrying the supports through the enclosure between an intake of the enclosure and an output of the enclosure.
As the support is carried through the enclosure, by exposure to the heat induced by the heat-diffusion means, the sleeve softens and then shrinks onto the support.
The heat-diffusion means includes, for example, an electric heating means such as infrared elements attached to side walls of the enclosure, which extend on either side of the conveyor, the infrared elements being connected to a source of electric current.
The heat-diffusion means can also include a means for heating by steam which includes steam diffusers attached to the side walls of the enclosure, the steam diffusers being connected to a steam-intake opening arranged in the enclosure.
However, such facilities are known to consume massive amounts of power in order to obtain the heating required inside the enclosure.